Projects  }  About

The Northwest Professional Dance Project conducts innovative dance Projects offering top dancers 16 to 25 years old valuable opportunities to study and work with world-class directors, choreographers, mentors and dance coaches in open and inclusive company settings.

Today's foremost choreographers and companies seek dancers with the versatility to perform a wide range of work. Our Projects are a unique way for dancers to see and be seen while increasing their ability to perform dynamic works of contrasting styles and making crucial professional connections.

Participation in all Projects is selective and limited in order to provide each dancer the opportunity to work directly and intimately with our guest artists.

We are pleased to announce that over 30 dance company contracts have been offered to NWPDP dancers as a direct result of their participation in our Projects.

LAUNCH

LAUNCH: 1    12/27 - 30 / 2008

Guest Artistic Directors

Robert Battle / Artistic Director / Battleworks Dance Company
James Canfield / Interim Artistic Director / Nevada Ballet Theatre
Lucas Crandall / Associate Artistic Director / Hubbard Street Dance Chicago
Robert Moses / Artistic Director / Robert Moses' Kin
Benoit-Swan Pouffer / Artistic Director / Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet
Sarah Slipper / Artistic Director / Northwest Professional Dance Project

The Northwest Professional Dance Project introduces LAUNCH: 1, our new directors workshop Project designed for the professional dancer seeking opportunities to see and be seen early in the audition season. Selected dancers will work for four intensive days alongside leading Artistic Directors on movement exploration, improvisation and choreographic mastery.

In addition to morning master ballet classes and working closely with our esteemed guest directors, experiencing their artistic and company's style and making critical professional connections, LAUNCH: 1 also provides unique insights and information from the artistic director's point of view as a panel of company directors discuss a wide range of topics of value to the professional dancer and answer your career questions.

LAUNCH participants must demonstrate advanced ballet technique, be versatile and movement oriented, open to artistic direction and suggestion, and be explorative and highly professional. Acceptance is limited and selective in order to emphasize individualized instruction, professional mentoring and close collaboration. LAUNCH requires that our dancers have the stamina and commitment to dance intensively up to ten hours per day.

LAUNCH also serve as the audition process for acceptance into our Project Company (The PC).

All interested dancers must apply and audition in-person for LAUNCH: 1 unless they have participated in a previous NWPDP Project (returning dancers must send completed application and $25 fee to be received by November 29, 2008). Please see the AUDITIONS page for full details and to download the LAUNCH: 1 application.

Fee: $635.00

LAUNCH: 2
July 2009 - details to be announced

"NWPDP is a great opportunity to see and work with developing dancers. It's the rare opportunity to see potential company members in a working environment. I'm able to get to know them as people and artists and evaluate their work in a much more meaningful way as opposed to the superficial view I would receive in an hour and a half audition."
-- Paul Vasterling / Artistic Director, Nashville Ballet / NWPDP Guest Artist